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§74.53 Process monitoring.

(a) Licensees subject to §74.51 shall monitor internal transfers, storage, and processing of SSNM. The process monitoring must achieve the detection capabilities described in paragraph (b) of this section for all SSNM except:

(1) SSNM that is subject to the item loss detection requirements of §74.55;

(2) Scrap in the form of small pieces, cuttings, chips, solutions, or in other forms that result from a manufacturing process, held in containers of 30 gallons or larger, with an SSNM content of less than 0.25 grams per liter;

(3) SSNM with an estimated measurement standard deviation greater than five percent that is either input or output material associated with a unit that processes less than five formula kilograms over a consecutive three-month period; and

(4) SSNM involved in research and development operations that process less than five formula kilograms during any seven-consecutive-day period.

(b) Unit process detection capability. For each unit process, a licensee shall establish a production quality control program capable of monitoring the status of material in process. The program shall include:

(1) A statistical test that has at least a 95 percent power of detecting an abrupt loss of five formula kilograms within three working days of a loss of Category IA material from any accessible process location and within seven calendar days of a loss of Category IB material from any accessible process location;

(2) A quality control test whereby process differences greater than three times the estimated standard deviation of the process difference estimator and 25 grams of SSNM are investigated; and

(3) A trend analysis for monitoring and evaluating sequences of material control test results from each unit process to determine if they indicate a pattern of losses or gains that are of safeguards significance.

(c) For research and development operations exempt from the requirements of paragraph (b) of this section, the licensee shall:

(1) Perform material balance tests on a lot or a batch basis, as appropriate, or monthly, whichever is sooner, and investigate any difference greater than 200 grams of plutonium or U-233 or 300 grams of U-235 that exceeds three times the estimated standard error of the inventory difference estimator;

(2) Evaluate material balance results generated during an inventory period for indications of measurement biases or unidentified loss streams and investigate, determine the cause(s) of, and institute corrective action for cumulative inventory differences generated during an inventory period that exceed three formula kilograms of SSNM.